Page 97 of Between Regrets and Promises

Sophie excuses herself to check on the dessert. A moment later, she shouts from the kitchen, and I fly off the couch to see if she needs help. She returns before I can and puts on a sad, pitiful face.

“My dessert burned. I forgot to turn the oven temp down after the casserole.” Her shoulders slump, and I feel bad, considering how much work she put into tonight.

“Oh, Soph. That’s okay,” Lennon says, waving her off.

“No, it’s not,” Sophie retorts. “I’ll grab something quick. Stay here, and I’ll be right back.”

Allie starts to fuss, and Lennon says it’s getting close to her feeding and bedtime so they’re going to go. Sophie protests but understands the fussier Allie becomes. It gives me hope that this night will come to an end, but as soon as Hunter, Lennon, and Maddie leave, Sophie announces she’s going to grab a pie from the store.

“I’ll come with you,” Caleb offers, and before I can come up with an excuse as to why that’s a horrible fucking idea, they’re both out the door.

“I hate that guy,” I grit between my teeth to Liam. He’s on his third beer and shakes his head at me. He thinks it’s because I’m jealous, but it’s much more than that. “I don’t have a good feeling about him. I think he’s living in his car.”

“He’s a widow who’s probably connected with Sophie on a different level.” He shrugs, but I don’t care what he thinks. My gut tells me this guy is bad news.

Once they return, Sophie serves us warm apple pie with New York vanilla ice cream. I’d say it was delicious if I wasn’t so annoyed with Caleb being here too.

“So Caleb, where did you say you worked?”

“I didn’t, but I’m a broker at First Financial.”

“How long have you been there?”

“About eight years,” he replies. “A year after I graduated college.”

“Where’d your wife work?”

“Mason!” Sophie shouts, her eyes narrowing in disapproval.

“It’s okay,” Caleb reassures her, placing his hand on her knee, and it takes all the control I have in the fucking world not to rip his hand off her. “I don’t mind talking about her. She was an elementary teacher at St. Mary’s. Taught second grade for four years.”

“How long were you guys married?” Liam asks.

I give him a mental high five for coming to my side.

“Seven years this fall.”

“I think that’senough,” Sophie says between tight lips.

Once we’re finished with dessert, Sophie says she’s going to make a pot of coffee, and of course, Caleb follows her like a damn puppy. I’m more than ready to get this night over with, but I’m not leaving him alone with her.

They return with a tray of coffee, and when I realize she forgot her creamer, I head to the fridge and grab it. She’s sitting on the couch with Caleb to her right, so I lean over on her leftand pour the creamer into her cup. Sophie looks up with a grateful smile and thanks me. I rest my hand on her shoulder and throw her a wink.

As soon as I sit next to her, Caleb turns until their knees are touching and talks about Dacia and another member of their circle, knowing damn well I can’t contribute. This guy is pissing me off.

“So, Sophie hasn’t told me much about you two,” Caleb directs at Liam and me. “What do you do for a living?” he asks, and the condescending tone about how she hasn’t mentioned us is crystal clear in his voice.

“Mason works in forensics, or something.” She looks and scrunches her nose with an apologetic expression. “What’s the technical term?”

“I’m on my way to becoming a forensics investigator. Finished my internships and working at the DA’s office until the position opens this fall,” I clarify, and the way Caleb’s spine straightens has me grinning.

“Wow. That’s quite the accomplishment. What do you do at the DA’s office?” he asks.

“Mostly bitch work,” I say, keeping it as vague as possible. “My dad’s the DA.”

Caleb swallows.

“And Liam’s a bounty hunter.” Sophie waves her hands toward him.

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